Kitty Collins is walking home from a bar one night when she accidentally kills a man who has followed her. This spirals into a spree as Kitty seeks out bad men in order to serve a little justice.

HOW TO KILL MEN AND GET AWAY WITH IT by Katy Brent was really fun in the first quarter. It had a lot of FINLAY DONOVAN and KILLING EVE vibes, and was just an overall good time (with a side of murder).

However, as the book went on, the storyline got extremely convoluted, the word “vegan” was used approximately 250 times, and a miscarriage and rape were used as lies to propel the story…yeah, a whole lot of cringing coming from this reader.

Seeing as this is Katy Brent’s first novel, I could see myself giving a future book of hers a go, but this one was a no for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 12, 2022

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It had me hooked from the title. It is hilarious and at times really dark and twisted. Kitty Collins is a social media influencer living her best morally-gray life- she’s got the money, the friends, the new boyfriend, and she’s cleansing the world one predator at a time (à la Dexter Morgan). I loved all the twists and turns in this book. The entire time, I could not figure out if she would get away with so much murder. Her inner dialogue and the situations she put herself in were hysterical. This book does get really graphic though, so trigger warning for rape and gore.

Thank you NetGalley, and everyone involved, in allowing me early access to this ebook.

TW: death, mention of suicide attempt, mention of miscarriage, killing of animals, killing of people, visual descriptions of blood, sexual assault, rape, consumption of drugs and alcohol (large quantities)

This was a heavier read than I was anticipating, and, for sure, trigger warnings are needed for this one, so readers can be fully aware of what they will be reading.

I’ve started “How to kill men and get away with it” thinking it would be a mix of “Finlay Donovan is killing it” and “Dial A for Aunties”, which, for those of you that haven’t read them, means it would be a drama funny book that would allow me some laugh. The book, however, deals with heavier situations (see TWs, I hope I haven’t missed anything!), which is not a bad thing per si, only something I wasn’t expecting.

Kitty Collins is an Influencer that starts killing men that somehow harmed women. The plot is very interesting, as it tries to pass an empowering message towards women (although I feel personally conflict whether it should be achieved this way), and I’ve seen people commenting Kitty is a female version of Dexter. Never seen Dexter myself, so I can’t really confirm or deny this, but could be a catchy narrative for the show fans out there.

The narrative is well paced, although some scenes feel like “more of the same” and could have been cut short. I was surprised by some actions, closer to the end, where I though I was already guessing how it would end, so it was nice as I don’t like that much predictable endings.

Potential spoilers ahead

For me, the lower parts were the huge descriptions of the murders, which I wasn’t expecting (hence the need for TWs) and the fact that there was nothing pure for Kitty, neither her friendships. I didn’t sense any character growth, which is another thing I tend to appreciate a lot.

This review will also be available on my Goodreads profile and, later on, on my Instagram account - @cat.literary.world

This book gripped me from the start and what a fantastic read it is.
Who really wouldn't love the title?
This book is very much I the premise of Dexter but with a female character Kitty.
Its definitely dark in places and has sexual content the murders are gruesome, which I personally think that it made for such an explosive read.

Somebody please turn this into a TV show. Brent’s writing is witty and edgy and effortlessly made me root for a murderer. Our heroine, Kitty, has some really smug and salty inner dialogue that I absolutely loved, and found realistic. I read a lot of sunshine-y characters, so Kitty was refreshing….you know, in a murder-y way. err, um, Dark but loveable. Sharp and fast paced, and grossly descriptive at times, this is going to stay in my mind for a very long time. 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review!

3.5 stars rounded up✨️

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital for sharing an arc with me in exchange for an honest review.

Kitty Collins accidentally a kills a man who was harassing her, and then another who we figure toys with women until he is bored of them. It is then she realises that killing these men might not be so bad after all, getting rid of these "rotten" people (as she calls them) to make the world a better place, and a safe space for women. There is another catch - she has a stalker that knows her every move, and definitely that she is a serial killer.

Firstly, the writing style is kind of detached (or very nonchalant, rather) but in a humorous way which I believe fits with the story very well because Kitty Collins reads like an absolute sociopath. Throughout the story we see a string of disgusting men and Kitty makes it her mission to get rid of them and asks questions such as if it is really that bad of these men were horrible people who made several lives of women as horrible. I will leave you to answer that question on your own but we are quite clear on where Kitty stands! 🤣 It is an entertaining read as Kitty is quite the sarcastic person, as well as pessimistic who does criticise popular culture such as social media, the privileges and this superiority complex of rich people (she is one herself), as well as how women themselves are sometimes against each other because of... men, or how even girl nights even revolve around men at some point, and also the power of money in all aspects of life but mostly court of law, especially if you are white cis male. It has short chapters and are so digestible, and therefore quite an easy read. I'd say there is gore in here, but there isn't much detail, just the manner in which Kitty kills her victims.


My complaint is that the killing gets repetitive (she is a serial killer after all) - we see shitty men, and then Kitty excusing murdering them because they were shitty I.e assaulting, raping, toying, degrading, etc and I understand that this is supposed to be more interesting with the added element of a stalker. However, I was unable to feel any sort of tension or fear of 1) being caught 2) being under the threat of this stalker. Kitty herself isn't even concerned with the stalker even though she learns pretty early on that this person knows she is killing and someone she knows, but this information doesn't interrupt her daily life at all. I just wish there was a bit more anxiety and stress around that. Despite getting a few messages from the stalker, I never once felt stressed because Kitty herself acts like it is no big deal.

At about 75% though, the writing gets incredible and there is more emotion packed as //something// happens (and we discover that maybe Kitty is not an absolute sociopath) and so I especially loved reading those last 150 or so pages, my favorite part of the book. There are certain reveals as well and questions that are answered that are very interesting, and thrilling as well! Some twists and turns later, the book is done with an ending that has certain implications. While I was not particularly thrilled about the stalker or who it was, I think a lot of what surrounded the reveal and everything that followed it was shocking and I did not see it coming. Other than that, this book made me snort (yes snort) out loud in some parts. I will leave some quotes down below which made me giggle or literally snort. Kitty is so nonchalant in saying some of these stuff which makes it that much more entertaining.

"Imagine our absolute awe to hear how they had absolutely loads in common. Joel is every bit obssessed with golden lab
puppies as Maisie and had even worked as a guide dog puppy trainer once. ... He likes the ssame music as she does and even the same films. would you believe it? It's almost like She posts every single personaI thing on her social media. And he's read them."

"If Adam thought he had rages, he'd seen nothing.While his anger was white-hot exploding stars, which involved smashing things up and screaming at everyone in earshot, mine was quieter.A simmering pressure cooker of fury-- Volcanic and destructive."

"He's older than I thought. Now I'm closer I can see the lines around his eyes and mouth. Laughter lines, they're called aren't they? Guess there's a lot more to laugh about when you're white and male."

"My feet hurt in my heels, and I wonder if they were designed by men specifically to make women easier to catch."

I recommend this to lovers of mystery following women getting revenge, especially do recommend if you love movies such as Promising Young Woman.

Kitty just wanted to walk home from the bar in peace. When a stranger decides to follow her she accidentally kills him when she pushes him off. Now that she has saved the world from one harasser, Kitty can’t seem to stop herself from saving everyone from all the horrible men in the world.

So I was kind of waiting for someone to ask me what I was reading while I was reading this one, just to see their response when I replied with the title. I mean, let’s be real. If you are a female and have ever felt uncomfortable walking home alone, or around a specific male that won’t leave you alone at a bar, or really ever received any unwanted attention from a male, you will understand why Kitty started to do what she did. I did figure out who the stalker was at around the half way point, but I really enjoyed this one and the tactics Kitty used to lure in these men. This is such a fun read if you ever hate the patriarchy.

Check the TWs because this has A LOT
If I read the blurb for this at all on NetGalley, I'd forgotten it by the time I started this. What I got was a funny, feminist novel about a serial killer that was sometimes very heavy and emotional but was also such a thrill to read.
It’s been a while since I watched Made in Chelsea but that toxic dynamic in Kitty’s friendship was obvious early on and I thought the note from Katy at the end that it was inspired after watching it and thinking what would happen if one of them killed their cheating exes was perfect.
It was full of twists and drama and I found it very unpredictable. Perfect for people who loved Promising Young Woman or the Mindfuck Series.
4.5

“Red eyes, blue lips, a pale yellowing skin. Oh, and some gorgeous shades of purple later as the blood pools in the lowest parts of the body. The colour palette of death is really rather pretty.”
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pov: 1st person pov
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rating: 5/5
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Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I adored this book, I just finished it but I want to reread it again. Kitty is absolutely badass, and I love her so much. At some point, I was kind of scared that it was going to be repetitive but NO. Katy Brent got me hooked on this story from the prologue, and I was never bored, there was always something happening that kept wanting to read more and more. I was there with Kitty and felt scared with her, felt badass with her. I could say so many things about this book but it wouldn't come close to how amazing it is. It feels so good to read a book about the empowerment of women.
You should read this book, if you support women rights and more importantly their wrongs.
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genre: Thriller/Mystery

Clever novel perfect for readers who love to be on social media and have someone they’d love to murder!

So I thought from the premise of the book that this might be an interesting concept. The idea of getting revenge on men who treat women badly is kind of satisfying. However, I found it repetitive after awhile. It was not very funny to me. I think I am the wrong audience for this book. The whole social influencer lifestyle is of no interest to me. I found the characters one dimensional and silly. I had a hard time finishing the book.

This book started off with a bang but failed to hold me interest - a great premise and good writing; it just seemed to drag on.

Like almost everyone else, it was the title of the book that got me. I read the blurb and thought: this seems interesting… and interesting it was!
To be honest, I did not expect to be LOL-ing so much while reading about people getting killed, but the dark humour in this book was so fitting and just right. It made the book a fun read, for sure.

The news is filled with women getting abused, harassed, raped almost every day, and Kitty, an uber successful social media influencer, takes matters in her own hands. She is out to deliver justice. This fast-paced book will leave you on the side of the serial killer by the time you finish it, and that’s all I’m going to say!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katy Brent writes a blackly humorous, fun and entertaining novel with her beautiful female Dexter like protagonist, the wealthy, sassy and popular social media influencer, Kitty Collins, whose father went missing and her mother has moved abroad, leaving her a fabulous London home to live in. I both listened to this on audio, narrated beautifully by Victoria Morrison, it is 9 hours and 25 minutes long and I read along with it too. The audio kept my attention throughout, and the narrator is certainly someone I will look out for in the future. This is one for the #MeToo generation, for every woman who has been terrified by the man following her on the dark streets, and for those who have been harrassed, abused, controlled, physically and sexually assaulted by men, for here they get their just desserts and then some.

Katy just happens to stumble accidently into what is to become her below the radar vocation when she is followed after a night out by an unpleasant, drunk and entitled bloke who feels she owes him, only for him to fall and cut his throat on a piece of a broken wine bottle and bleeds out. This is to be the start of Kitty taking up her vigilante role of taking out men who deserve to die. We learn that Kitty is a scared woman too, she has her very own stalker who follows her online and seems all too well informed about what she is doing. On a personal level, Kitty is wary when it comes to men after a relationship with Adam, an author who betrayed and exploited her, and it is not until she meets Charlie, a charity worker, that she is willing to risk entering into another relationship, although trust issues are to arise again.

Katy, the smart and twisted killer is not short of male victims who do not see her coming and are made to pay for their crimes against women by losing their lives. Events culminate in Katy setting out to kill in what she hopes will be her final murder, only to find herself coming up against her surprising stalker. This is a fun and engaging crime read that highlights how it is possible to not really know the people who are close to us and provides us with a charismatic character who stylishly pulls off a killing spree, but will she able to give up this sideline she has developed and which could be viewed by many as a public service! I think it could work well if it was turned into a TV series with the right actors. I can certainly recommend the audio too. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A dark rom-com thriller that alarmingly draws you in from the beginning.

Kitty is a vegan Dexter-esque fashionista haunted by a dark past that seems to bleed into her present. Her particular strength in man-hating has fueled her passion for a man-hunt through London, but obviously, she has her own set of rules. Lucky for Kitty, finding bad men comes easy as there is an abundance of them, many of which she discovered on the news or Tinder.

The story starts hard and fast, with Kitty performing her very first kill, detailing what it's like to see the light leave a man's eyes as she strangles him to death. From then on, Kitty is poised to kill the cruel men doing unspeakable things to women, intending to make the world a safer place by purging it of the very worst of men.

Obviously, she knows it's not all men when she meets a young Charlie Chambers, and he turns her world upside down. But even Charlie's presence isn't enough to erase the evil still stalking women on the streets of London. Kitty knows she has work to do still. Oh, and then there's the cyberstalker who seems to know her every move.

Brent notes after her epilogue that How to Kill Men and Get Away With It sprouted during the first waves of the #MeToo movement, but she didn't write the novel straight away. One of her major notes to herself during conceptualization was, "What if women snapped back?"

This novel will leave you rooting for the main character, even when you feel like you shouldn't. Kitty is the definition of a Byronic Hero, doing what's wrong for the sake of all things good.

I recommend this book to readers who love comedy, mystery, romance, and a lot of thrill.

Okay the title of the book is why I knew I had to read it! Very catchy indeed and it did not disappoint at all.

Have you ever been enraged by brutal crimes against women? I know I have, and so has our girl Kitty. Kitty is just like every modern woman but she has a secret past time. She has a great career as an influencer, and a possible budding romance on the horizon. But she has a thirst for revenge. Horrible, horrible men who do horrible things to women aren’t safe. Kitty is out to protect women and stop these men from doing more harm. Can Kitty keep everything balanced in her life?

What I enjoyed:
- Kitty! God, I loved her. She was hilarious, clever and definitely a female Dexter
- The pacing was great! This was such a fun read that I couldn't put down
- Loved the girl power vibes!
- This had some humor at times. I definitely laughed out loud quite a few times. Especially using Vogue pages instead of tarps 😂

This was truly a gem of a book! I enjoyed every moment. I also would love more of Kitty and her murderous tendencies. I can't wait to read more from this author! 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. There was a little bit of mystery and thriller and some humor all wrapped into one . I really enjoyed that the chapters were not really long. I didn't want to put the book down I kept wanting more . I think the author did an amazing job with this book and who doesn't love a women serial killer taking out all the bad guys? Thank you netgalley for giving me a copy of this book I was over joyed when I got the notification for this book.

This one has Dexter with a hint of Sex and the City vibes.

Brent is a Journalist who wrote this book during lockdown. Writing a book has always been her dream. You can feel her imagination in her writing.

In this story we meet Kitty Collins. She is a vegan whose family owns a meat packing business. That is just the start of the ironies. She is tough and independent but gets talked into going out to hang out with some guys and next thing there is an accident….sort of?? Some guy follows her out of the bar with a wine bottle. Next thing you know, he is falling on the broken bottle and dies. Kitty decides that he got what he deserved and it felt good.

She is also a social media influencer. So when she just leaves the dead guy on the street, will she get caught? Or does her creepy stalker also know what she has done? But in any case, she gets to like the feeling of having a hand in justice and decides to target the bad guys in a Dexter-ish way.

Her friends are all spoiled, rich girls who enjoy meeting up for brunch or drinks and talking about their sex life which was all very Sex and the City to me. I love the camaraderie between her friends as they try to help through what they think is a difficult time after her first serious boyfriend.

The twists were fun and unexpected. This was entertaining and witty and made me laugh out loud. A few parts were so absurd that they were funny, but I found the humor in it. If you like a little dark humor and enjoyed Dexter this is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Katy Brent with HQ for providing me with an ARC. This book releases 10/12/22.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy reading of this book..

First and foremost; The. TITLE! Tell me that won’t suck you in. This is the story we all needed to read, for thoughts we’ve all had.
I absolutely adore a book with short chapters!
While Kit is sassy, funny and bold the heavy themes come through clear in this story. I think women my age will eat this story up!!

I am well into the trend of Killer Females, and How to Kill Men and Get Away With It is Sex and the City meets Dexter,with a British twist.

Kitty is an influencer by day, and an avenging angel by night, cheerfully murdering men who have abused and assaulted women. She has an interesting past, and also a stalker who sends her creepy messages and seems to know her every move.

This falls sort of in the comic Finlay Donovan/ Killers of a Certain Age/ Dial A for Aunties lane. It's a bit too gruesome to be a cozy but a bit too witty and camp to be horror.

Fun book and a great addition to my Killer Queens book list!